A new study on glaciation in arid central Asia urges caution in reading glacial proxy sources. The study’s authors emphasize that glacier growth in arid regions is more linked to local precipitation than temperature, as evidenced by the retreat of many central Asian glaciers during the global Last Glacial Maximum. While the vast majority of the world’s glaciers are in retreat today, shifting precipitation patterns due to modern climate change has also brought growth to some of these glaciers, suggesting that glacier chronologies from arid areas need to be used carefully in reconstructions.